THE VEGETATION OF EASTER ISLAND 



489 



Mataveri during 1912 (same series, Nos. 6, 8 and 10, 1914) and 1913 (No. 13, 

 1914, and Nos. 15 and 16, 1915), but after that year the item »Isla de Pascua» 

 unfortunately disappears from the reports. 



Jan. . 

 Feb. . 

 Marcli. 

 April . 

 Mav . 

 June . 

 July . 

 Aug. . 

 Sept. 

 Oct. . 

 Nov. . 

 Dec. . 

 Year . 



med. 



22.5 

 21. 1 

 19.9 



17-7 

 16.9 

 17.2 

 17.4 

 18.2 

 18.9 

 21.0 



Ttinpcratiirc igi2 — /j 

 Mataveri, alt. 30 m. 



19.7 



^3-3 



29-5 



10.4 



This is a pronouncedly oceanic temperature climate, very mild and very 

 equable. A visitor does not get the impression that he has come to a trop- 

 ical country, for indigenous trees are pretty nearly absent and the herbaceous 

 flora is extremely poor in species; thus, there is no sign of the traditional 

 tropical luxuriant growth. Nevertheless, many of the vegetable products under 

 cultivation are tropical, such as the coconut (very few trees), pine-apple, sugar- 

 cane, banana and taro, and many of the native or adventitious species are 

 restricted to the warmer regions of the world. There does not exist another 

 island of the size of Easter and with such a fine climate where the native flora 

 is so poor. Only about 30 species are considered to be indigenous. 



Rainfall, humidity and evaporation. 



Mataveri, 1912— 13. 



The ratio rainfall : evaporation has been added. 



Jan. . 

 Feb. 



Marcl 



April 



May 



June 



July 



Rainfall 

 Evaporation 



1.7 



0.46 



2.61 



1.74 



1.7 



3-1 

 096 



